The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Whether you’re learning a new language for school, business, or travel, language learning is now more accessible than ever—and it’s no longer limited to the classroom or that app with a bird mascot. Ridgewood Public Library cardholders now have free access to Mango Languages, a top-rated language learning platform that offers over 70 languages to explore.
Continue reading Unlock a World of Language Learning with Ridgewood Public Library
Creating an ideal outdoor space for your school can significantly enhance the learning experience for students. Imagine a vibrant environment where children can connect with nature, engage in physical activity, and collaborate with peers. This guide will help you transform underutilized areas into inspiring outdoor classrooms and play zones, allowing students to thrive both academically and socially. Let’s explore the essential elements needed to design a functional and enjoyable outdoor space that fosters creativity and growth.
Continue reading How to Design an Ideal Outdoor Space for Your School
Preparing for the 11 Plus exam can be a daunting task for both you and your child. As a parent, you play a crucial role in helping them navigate the challenges ahead. This blog post will guide you through effective strategies and tips to support your study routine, bolster your confidence, and instill a positive mindset. Together, you can turn this exam preparation into a rewarding journey toward academic success.
Continue reading How to Help Your Child Succeed in the 11 Plus Exam
Do you have a child who seems disengaged in school? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent study, nearly one-third of all American students are disengaged from school. This can lead to a number of problems, including lower grades and poor social skills. So what can you do to help your child if he is being disengaged in school?
Continue reading How To Help Your Child If He Is Being Disengaged In School?
No matter how dedicated you are as a student or whether you’re in high school or college, checking your phone for new notifications is second nature. According to Inside Higher Ed, 49% of students use technology for non-learning tasks which distract them, with 68% of teachers being bothered by the fact.
Continue reading 5 Helpful Ideas to Support Students Who Are Now Learning Offline
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy continues to require New Jersey’s children to wear masks at school, daycare, and summer camp, even though children and adults can now unmask almost everywhere else.
Continue reading Petition urging Governor Murphy to unmask kids
“Only 19 percent of full-time students at a public university earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, according to the nonprofit organization Complete College America”
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This has less to do with an inability to afford school and more to do with all of the immersive experiences baked into college, such as study abroad, semester off experiences, etc…
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Schools actively promote this so they can hold onto the student longer and squeeze more money from each student.
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Friends of a 12-year-old New Jersey cheerleader who died last week believe the young student committed suicide because she was bullied online.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s office said the death of Mallory Grossman was under investigation, but did not confirm whether she suffered from a fatal, self-inflicted wound, News 4 reported.
Relatives told the news station that Mallory’s mother complained to administrators at Copeland Middle School about the alleged cyberbullying hours before her daughter died.
Students at the Rockaway school on Monday sported light blue clothing in a call to stop bullying and a tribute to their dead classmate.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/friends-nj-cheerleader-killed-bullies-article-1.3262947
(And How To Get Around It)
August 1,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The tuition cost was haunting. The dorm bill was daunting. The laptop your favorite college freshman just had to have cost more than your first car.
Now all she has left to do is hit the college bookstore with her list of required textbooks. Don’t be surprised if she comes out crying.
A recent study by the United States Government Accountability office showed that the average prices for textbooks have risen 82 percent in just 10 years.
Many expected that internet access would help bring costs down, but the college textbook industry appears to be keeping students from saving money by using such tactics as college specific books, book bundling and eTextbooks, all of which raise prices.
Luckily there is something you can do about it. You just need to do a little homework before classes start. “There are many ways you can save when buying textbooks that the college textbook industry doesn’t want you to know about,” says Chris Manns of the price comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com andTextbookRentals.com. Both free services help students locate the cheapest prices for millions of books.
Here’s his list of the ways the college textbook industry gets you to pay more, and some tips for paying less:
• College Specific Books: Colleges have started asking students to buy college specific books. They take a commonly used textbook and have it printed with the college name and course number on the cover. This gives the book a new ISBN (International Standard Book Number) that is typically only available at the college it was made for.
The workaround: Ask the professor if it’s OK to use the book’s common version. “The common version will be available online and, in almost all cases, be much cheaper and apart from the cover, it’ll be the exact same. When you rent or buy it online, you’ll be able to rent or buy it used from anybody,” Manns says.
• Book Bundling: Students are sometimes required to buy a “book bundle” with extra class materials that add to the cost. “These bundles often include items the professors aren’t even using,” Manns says.
The workaround: Email the professor or wait until the class starts and ask if the professor will be using the supplemental material. “If the answer is no, then buy just the textbook online,” Manns says.
• New Editions: “This problem has been around a long time,” Manns says. Publishers release new versions of books every few years, even though little changes. Usually, buying an older edition gives you the information you need. Older editions often cost less than $25.
• eTextbooks: eTextbooks are usually more expensive than buying a book used or renting it, and they typically expire after six months or a year.
The workaround: Shop around. Most eTextbooks are available from multiple sellers. If you have the option, go old-school and buy the hard cover or paperback, which will typically be much cheaper. “That way you can keep it if you want, or you can sell it later,” he says.
• Timing: Sometimes students don’t learn what textbooks they need until a couple of weeks before classes start, giving them little time to shop around.
The workaround: Don’t worry too much about getting your books before classes start. If you don’t mind a little inconvenience, then wait until you’re a couple of days into the school year before buying. “The professor might even tell you that you don’t need the book,” Manns says. If it’s required, you can shop online and still have the book within a couple of days.
About Chris Manns
Chris Manns is the managing director of the price-comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com and TextbookRentals.com.He’s been in the business of helping students find the cheapest prices for their textbooks since 2001.
Brian Stack
The movement of schools across the country from a traditional to a standards-based or competency-based grading model is calling into question the age-old practice of asking the valedictorian and the salutatorian to be the speakers at graduation.
New Hampshire’s Concord Monitor recently published a story describing how several New Hampshire high schools have already abandoned this model in favor of one that opens up the privilege of being selected as a graduation speaker to a much broader cohort of deserving students.
The practice of calculating class rank is obsolete in today’s educational environment. In a recent Phi Delta Kappan article, University of Kentucky professor and educational reform author Thomas Guskey explains that “Class Rank Weighs Down True Learning.”
Guskey argues that schools must decide whether their intent is to select or develop talent. Selecting talent, he explains, is indicative of poor teaching, because it is achieved when teachers and schools create the greatest possible variation of assessment scores so they can distinguish between students with greater talent from those with less.
JANUARY 5, 2016 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016, 7:41 AM
BY KARA YORIO
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The teenager’s green Nikes bounce up and down on a big rubber band attached to the desk as teacher Kaitlyn Brock talks about continents and hemispheres. Nearby another student swings his legs on the bands. Their upper bodies remain still, they are taking notes and appear focused.
It had been two weeks since Brock had brought the Bouncy Bands to her Paterson classroom where she teaches about 120 seventh- and eighth-graders social studies each day at Alexander Hamilton Academy. She had already noticed a difference.
“They seem to be more focused when they can move their feet at the same time and they’re not completely confined to their seats,” said Brock, who is part of a movement among teachers to allow more movement.
The days of teachers yelling “Sit still” to kids in elementary through high school seem to be ending. Educators around North Jersey are realizing the value of a little freedom and physical activity while teaching.
It’s kinesthetic learning, according to Barry Bachenheimer, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
“[It’s] the idea that when your body is in motion, you’re firing up endorphins, things are moving and instead of [you] sitting in a singular place the entire time,” said Bachenheimer. “If you’re sitting still for a long time, your brain doesn’t work.”
As more adults are coming around to the idea that “sitting is the next smoking” and working movement into their work routine, the idea of physical activity and education is moving more and more toward implementation instead of simply discussion. It is still not enough, according to Aleta Margolis, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based non-profit Center for Inspired Teaching.